Simulated gaslight and mantle



p 964 A. L. HORELICK 3,143,835

SIMULATED GASLIGHT AND MANTLE Filed Feb. 19, 1962 INVENTOR. ARNOLD L. HOREL/CK Attorneys United States Patent 3,148,835 SIMULATED GASLIGHT AND MANTLE Arnold L. Horelick, Upper St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assignor to Jacobsen Products, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 174,088 2 Claims. (Cl. 24046.51)

This invention relates to a simulated gaslight and mantle and more particularly is for a simulated gaslight having an electrical incandescent lamp and a mantle fitted thereover whereby the effect of an illuminating gas lamp is achieved.

It is ofttimes desirable to employ illuminating gaslights as outdoor lanterns, house entrance lights and street lamps to accomplish an esthetic environment for a neighborhood characteristic of those in existence at the turn of the century. In many instances, however, it is impractical to employ illuminating gaslights for the reasons that either the supply of gas is unavailable, or the installation and maintenance of such gaslights is economically non-feasible. Accordingly, it has become the practice to imitate the illuminating. gaslights by the provision of electrical lamps having open-type filaments; that is, lamps from which a mellow glow is emitted rather than an intense illuminating light. The open-type filament lamps, however, hove proven unsatisfactory as a substitution for the gas lamps in that their simulation is readily detectable. The glow from such lamps is unlike that of the gaslights, both in intensity and color, and the outline of the wire filaments is apparent.

The disadvantages of the imitation gaslights of the nature of incandescent lamps are overcome by the present invention wherein an incandescent lamp is enclosed by a sleeve of braided light transmitting and heat resistant yarn, the simulated gaslight having the visual characteristics of a real illuminating gaslight.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical simulated gaslight closely resembling illuminating gaslights in appearance and light emitting qualities.

It is another object to provide a simulated gaslight having a woven or braided mantle of material which transmits both the heat and light of an electrical incandescent lamp over which it is fitted.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a mantle for an electrical incandescent lamp which diffuses the illumination from the electric lamp, whereupon the mantle will glow with the appearance of an illuminating gas mantle surrounding a gas burner or flame.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates in elevation an assembled simulated gaslight;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, slightly enlarged, of the mantle separated from the assembly shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates the open-filament lamp of the assembly depicted in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates a preferred embodiment, an incandescent lamp 11 having a standard base 12 for connection to a source of electrical current. The envelope 13 of the lamp 11 preferably is composed of clear glass, which in the particular embodiment illustrated, is of cylindrical contour as best shown in FIG. 3.

Within the glass envelope 13 there is disposed a wire filament 14 which is supported about a central glass standard 15 of the lamp 11 by means of small books 16 3,148,835 Patented Sept. 15,, 1964 protruding from the standard 15 to space the loops of the filament 14 relatively far apart. The wire filament 14 is connected in the usual manner to leads l7 brought through the base 12, and by resistance to the flow of current through the wire material forming the filament 14 a low power illumination is efiected.

The mantle 18 forming a part of the assembled simulated gaslight of FIG. 1 is a sleeve of braided or woven yarn 19, having a light transmitting characteristic as Well as a high index of thermal conductivity. The yarn 19 is heat resistant and is capable of diffusing the illumination to produce a glow effect. The denier of the yarn is such that light transmitted from the filament 14 of the in candescent lamp 11 travels through the yarn without a significant loss of power, thus resulting in a soft or mellow glow effect closely resembling the illumination of a gaslight with a Woven mantle.

The material or composition of the yarn used in the manufacture of the mantle 18 must have certain characteristics in order to satisfactorily function to simulate a gaslight mantle for use with incandescent lamps. Some of the desired qualities of such material are the ability to conduct heat readily, to withstand weathering and exposure to moisture, and to resist deterioration because of acidic vapors and contaminating gases of the atmosphere which are normally deleterious to fabrics. Further, the yarn 19 should have a relatively high tensile strength in order to be drawn by braiding machines or the like into a woven fabric of a desired shape such as the sleeve shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 in this embodiment of the invention. One example of a suitable yarn is composed of fiber glass, which may be either the continuous filament or staple filament type. The chemical composition of fiber glass yarns is such that the desired attributes of duration, strength, light and heat transmitting characteristics, and flexibility are very satisfying for employment as a mantle material in the practice of the invention.

Heat dissipation from the electric lamp is one primary consideration in the design of the imitation mantle comprising a part of this invention. It is well known, of course, that rapid heat removal from the area of a lamp is essential to obtain a satisfactory use life of the lamp. Consequently, the mantle 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is composed of the fiber glass yarn 19 braided loosely to provide openings between the yarn lengths by which heat is dissipated directly through the glass envelope 13 of the lamp 11. The yarn 19 is composed typically of many glass filaments which lie in parallel close engagement so as to form substantially a uniform thickness of glass yarn. The heat of the incandescent lamp 11 is transmitted through the glass envelope 13 and through the yarn lfi of the mantle 18, and because the yarn is in effect a layer of glass on the glass envelope 13 of the lamp, heat is transmitted through the yarn 19 readily from the area of the lamp 11, and in addition it provides extended area over the smooth envelope of the incandescent bulb through which heat is better dissipated by convection and radiation thereby maintaining the lamp cooler and prolonging its usefuhiess.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mantle consists of a sleeve 21 of braided material, such as fiber glass yarn or fibers 19. One end of the sleeve 21 is gathered about the sleeve axis and bound by suitable means such as a heat resistant tape 22. The sleeve 21 is thus closed at one end to fit as a cap over the glass envelope 13. The other sleeve end is covered about its terminal portion 23 by a similar strip of tape. The tape serves to bind the one end of the sleeve and to prevent the fraying of the ends of the yarn 19, which are exposed at both ends of the braided sleeve. The gathered end of the sleeve is positioned within the sleeve by turning the entire sleeve inside out, and is neatly disposed out of sight by such positionment.

The use of tape 22 is only one suggested means of sealing the yarn ends at the sleeve ends, it being readily apparent that a heat resistant varnish may be utilized Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is important to note that the tightness of the brade or weave of the yarn 19 in the sleeve provides openings between the individual yarn lengths of the fabric to allow heat from the lamp filament 14 to be transmitted directly therethrough. However, the weave of the fabric is tight enough to obscure from vision the filament 1d of the electrical lamp 11, the filament 14 being discernible only upon close scrutiny.

The instant invention accordingly provides a safe, reliable and inexpensive simulated gaslight which approximates the appearance of real gaslights. The incandescent lamp mantle illustrated by the specific embodiment herein creates the illusion of a mantle surrounding a gas burner or flame.

It is manifest that the above-described embodiment of the invention is merely illustrative and that numerous modifications may be made. stood that the particular incandescent lamp illustrated is only an example of one type of lamp which may be operated upon in practicing the invention and that the invention is not limited to use with this one type of lamp.

What is claimed is:

l. A light diffuser simulating a gas mantle for use on incandescent lamp bulbs comprising a generally cylindrical flexible sleeve open at one end and closed at the other and of a diameter to snugly slide over and be supported entirely by the cylindrical'glass envelope of an incandescent filament type electric lamp bulb, the sleeve comprising a fabric formed from braided glass fiber threads closely woven to obscure the outline of the filament of the lamp over which it is supported but pervious to the Further, it Will be under-.

circulation of air through it and providing against the envelope of the incandescent bulb to Which it is applied an extended heat dissipating surface for the glass envelope by increasing the heat radiating and convection areas, said threads being translucent to visible light whereby to produce the illusion of incandescence when the lamp to which the sleeve is applied is operating.

2. A light diffuser simulating a gas mantle for-use with an incandescent imp bulb to produce the illusion of a gas mantle comprising a generally flexible cylindrical sleeve open at one end and gathered at its other end to close said other end, the sleeve being formed of fabric constituted of flexible heat-conducting glass fiber yarnlike threads closely woven to substantially obscure the outline of the filament of an incandescent lamp bulb enclosed within it but pervious to the passage of air therethrough, said threads being translucent to visible light whereby to produce the illusion of incandescence when transmitting light from a bulb over which it is placed but by reason of its light transmitting qualities offering little impairment to the overall emission of light from the bulb to the surrounding area, said fabric being immune to exposure to wind and rain and by reason of its flexibility resistant to mechanical shock and vibration and providing an extended heat-dissipating surface over the incandescent bulb to which it is fitted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 898,881 Hanna Sept. 15, 1908 1,767,179 Johns June 24, 1930 3,056,021 lacobsen Sept. 25, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 380,562 Great Britain a- Sept. 22, 1932 

1. A LIGHT DIFFUSER SIMULATING A GAS MANTLE FOR USE ON INCANDESCENT LAMP BULBS COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL FLEXIBLE SLEEVE OPEN AT ONE END AND CLOSED AT THE OTHER AND OF A DIAMETER TO SNUGLY SLIDE OVER AND BE SUPPORTED ENTIRELY BY THE CYLINDRICAL GLASS ENVELOPE OF AN INCANDESCENT FILAMENT TYPE ELECTRIC LAMP BULBS, THE SLEEVE COMPRISING A FABRIC FORMED FROM BRAIDED GLASS FIBER THREADS CLOSELY WOVEN TO OBSCURE THE OUTLINE OF THE FILAMENT OF THE LAMP OVER WHICH IT IS SUPPORTED BUT PREVIOUS TO THE CIRCULATION OF AIR THROUGH IT AND PROVIDING AGAINST THE ENVELOPE OF THE INCANDESCENT BULB TO WHICH IT IS APPLIED AN EXTENDED HEAT DISSIPATING SURFACE FOR THE GLASS ENVELOPE BY INCREASING THE HEAT RADIATING AND CONVECTION AREAS, SAID THREADS BEING TRANSULCENT TO VISIBLE LIGHT WHEREBY TO PRODUCE THE ILLUSION OF INCANDESCENCE WHEN THE LAMP TO WHICH THE SLEEVE IS APPLIED IS OPERATING. 